Hamburger Helper facts for kids
A box of the Cheeseburger Macaroni variety
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| Type | Packaged mix |
|---|---|
| Course | Main course |
| Created by | General Mills |
| Invented | 1971 |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Pasta or rice |
| Ingredients generally used | Seasonings |
| Variations | Tuna Helper, Fruit Helper, Chicken Helper, Asian Helper, Whole Grain Helper, Pork Helper, Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles |
Hamburger Helper is a popular boxed meal. It's made by a company called Eagle Foods. Inside the box, you'll find dried pasta or rice. There's also a packet of tasty seasonings. You just add cooked ground beef, water, milk, and sometimes a little mayonnaise. Then you cook it all together to make a yummy, easy meal.
There are also other versions, like "Tuna Helper" for fish or "Chicken Helper" for chicken. Some even come with potatoes instead of pasta.
Contents
The Story of Hamburger Helper
Hamburger Helper first came out in 1971. The company General Mills created it. This happened when meat was expensive and hard to find. Hamburger Helper helped families make their ground beef stretch further. In 2005, a TV show called Food Network said it was one of the top "fad foods" of the 1970s.
The Helping Hand Mascot
The mascot for Hamburger Helper is called "the Helping Hand." Sometimes people call him "Lefty." He looks like a white glove with four fingers. He has a friendly face on his palm and a round red nose. You can often see him in TV commercials and on the product boxes.
In May 2022, General Mills announced they would sell the brand. Eagle Foods bought Hamburger Helper for about $610 million. The sale was completed on July 5, 2022.
Different Kinds of Helper Meals
The most popular kind of Helper is made for ground beef. It comes with dried pasta and seasonings. You cook it with your ground beef. Hamburger Helper has many flavors. Some popular ones include lasagna, ranch and bacon, stroganoff, and chili macaroni.
Other Helper Varieties
Besides the classic Hamburger Helper, there are other versions. These are made for different kinds of meat or even fish.
Tuna Helper
Tuna Helper was the second variety to be released. It came out in 1972. It quickly became very popular. It's designed to be cooked with canned tuna.
Chicken Helper
Chicken Helper was introduced in 1984. It became popular because boneless and skinless chicken breasts were easy to find and not too expensive.
Discontinued Helper Products
Over the years, some Helper products were stopped.
- Fruit Helper was a dessert product. It came out in 1973. You would make it with canned or fresh fruit. This line is no longer made.
- Asian Helper offered four Asian-American style dishes. Three were for chicken, and one was for beef. This line was stopped after Eagle Foods bought the brand.
- Whole Grain Helper had four dishes made with whole grain pasta. Two were for chicken, and two were for beef. This line is also no longer made.
- Pork Helper was introduced in 2003. It included flavors like pork fried rice. This product was stopped soon after it came out.
- Hamburger Helper Bold was a spicier version of Hamburger Helper. It is no longer available.
- Helper Mac & Cheese was a microwavable mac and cheese dish. It had flavors like pizza and nacho. This product was also stopped after Eagle Foods bought the brand.
Microwavable Helper Meals
Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles first came out in 2006. These were single-serving portions. You just added water and cooked them quickly in the microwave. Chicken Helper flavors were added in 2007, but the product was stopped shortly after.
In 2024, it returned as Hamburger Helper Microwavable. This new version includes dehydrated beef. It comes in four flavors: Beef Pasta, Cheeseburger Macaroni, Chili Macaroni, and Tomato Basil Macaroni.
See also
